Variable shim for gasket



May 3, 1955 F. s. GooDRlcH 2,707,310

VARIABLE SHIM FOR GASKET Filed Dec. l5, 1951 Hwantor: Fran'k S. Goodrich, by

His Attorney.

Unite States Patem;

atomic 'vannsnr'n sr-nM non GASKET Frank S. Goodrich, Erie, Pa., assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 15, 1951, Serial No. 261,807

6 Claims. (Cl. Ztl-35) r[his invention relates to refrigerator cabinets and pertains more particularly to gaskets employable for sealing the doors thereof.

in some refrigerator cabinet constructions, magnetic gaskets are empioyed between the door and cabinet. This type of gasket carries enclosed therein a plurality of small magnets; and, while it is adapted to be mounted on the face of either the outer door or outer case of the cabinet, it is usually, for appearance reasons, mounted on the face of the outer door.` When the gasket is mounted on the face of the outer door, the magnets attract the face of the outer door to the face of the outer case and thereby hold the gasket in effective sealing engagement therewith, Such a magnetic gasket is particularly effective for maintaining a satisfactory seal in that it conforms to the surface of the face of the outer case and thereby compensates for irregularities existing in the face of the outer case or outer door.

In some refrigerator constructions, however, irregularities existing in the faces of the outer door and outer case are extreme to an extent that a sealing problem may still be presented. This is particularly true when such extreme irregularities exist at the corners of the faces of the outer door and outer case.

In View of the above, the primary object of my invention is to provide in a refrigerator cabinet construction including a magnetic gasket, an improved arrangement for overcoming sealing defects resulting from the most extreme irregularities encountered in the faces of the outer case and outer door of the refrigerator.

Another object of my invention is to provide with a refrigerator magnetic gasket improved means for securing satisfactory sealing at the corners of the gasket.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

In carrying out the objects of my invention7 l provide shims which are mountable on the refrigerator outer or inner door just beneath the gasket. The shims are formed of a malleable material and portions thereof may be moved away from the door for thereby increasing the height of corresponding portions of the gasket to compensate for irregularities encountered in the face of the outer case of the refrigerator cabinet or to compensate for irregularities existing in the face of the outer door.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a portion of a refrigerator with the door thereof open and having a preferred embodiment of my invention included therein; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2 2 in Fig. l when the door is closed; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a corner of the door illustrating a second embodiment of my invention; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line ICC 2 S-5 in Fig. 4 when the door is closed; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the second embodiment of my invention. Y I

Referring to Fig. l, there is shown 'a refrigerator cabinet 1 which includes an inner case 2 and an outer case 3 having a face portion 4. Also included in the cabinet construction is an inner door 5 and an outer door 6 having a face portion 7. Mounted on the face portion 7 of the outer door 6 is a magnetic gasket 8, which may be, for example, of the type described and claimed in the copending application of Alfred G. Janos, Serial No. 122,961, led October 22, 1949, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

As better seen in Fig. 2, the legs of the gasket 8 are formed to include a fastening rib 9, a magnet passage 1t) and a sealing rib 11. Provided for clamping the fastening rib 9 and thereby securing the gasket 8 to the face 7 of the outer door 6 is a fastening strip 11a. The gasket 8 is also formed for receiving the edges of the inner door 5. The gasket 8 carries spacedly arranged in the passage 11i therein a plurality of bar magnets 12. When the door is closed in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the magnets 12 attract the face 4 of the outer case 3. This attraction is effective both for holding the door closed and for bringing the rib 11 of the gasket d into sealing engagement with the face 4 of the outer case 3. Also, inasmuch as each magnet 12 attracts a corresponding portion of the outer case face portion 4, the gasket 8 is adapted to conform to the surface contours thereof. In this manner, the gasket compensates for surface irregularities which might exist in either the outer case face portion 4 or the outer door face portion 7, and a satisfactory seal is maintained regardless of such irreguiarities.

Some irregularities in the face portions of the outer case and outer door, however, may be extreme to the extent of being beyond the normal sealing eifectiveness of the described magnetic gasket S. To overcome the sealing defects resulting from such extreme surface irregularities, l provide variable members or shims for cooperating with the magnetic gasket.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, I provide in accordance with a first embodiment of my invention a member or shim 13 adapted for use along the leg portions or at the corners of the gasket 8. The shim 13 is elongated and substantially U-shaped in cross-section. The shim 13 is formed of any material which is sufficiently malleable to be deformable, as by bending, while also being suiiiciently elastic to retain deformations. As perhaps better seen in Fig, 3, one side of the shim 13 is divided into a plurality of spaced finger portions 14 while the other side is retained whole for providing a base portion 1S. The shim 13 is adapted to receive a portion of an edge of the inner door 5 and together with the edge is receivable between the face portion 7 of the outer door 6 and a portion of the gasket 8. One or more of the iinger portions 14 may be depressed and thereby utilized for holding the shim positioned on the edge of the inner door.

if an irregularity, such as a surface depression, should exist in the face portion 4 of the outer case 3 one or more of the shims 13 may be located under a corresponding portion of the gasket 8. Then a suiicient number of the nger portions 14 of the shim or shims 13 may be variably positionable away from the door, as by lifting, in order that the height of the corresponding portion of the gasket may be increased for causing the gasket to conform to and thereby compensate for the irregularity. If a similar irrregularity should exist in the face portion 7 of the outer door 6, it may be compensated for by location of one or more shims 13 at the irregularity and variable positioning of the finger portions i4 thereof. it will be seen that a plurality of shims 13 may be arranged in line throughout the lengths of the leg portions of the gasket 8 or one or more may be employed at positions along the gasket where surface irregularities are known to exist. Thus, satisfactory sealing engagement between the rib 11 on the gasket 8 and the face 4 of the outer case 3 is attainable. As seen in Fig. 1, a pair of the shims 13 may be disposed at substantially right angles beneath a corner of the gasket i3. By this arrangement, irregularities in the corners of the face portions of the outer case and door may be compensated for, and sealing of the gasket at the corners is insured.

VAs seen in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 inclusive, i provide in accordance with a second embodiment of my invention a corner member or shim i6 which is also intended for remedying scaling defects at the corners of the gasket. The corner shim 16 is formed of the same material as the above-described first embodiment and, as best seen in Fig. 6, includes a leaf portion i7 and a protrusion or upstanding portion 18 at one end thereof. Formed in the leaf portion 17 opposite the protrusion 18 is an elongated slot E9. By means of the slot i9 and a screw 20, the corner shim 16 is secured to the inner door 5 beneath the gasket 8, as shown in Fig. 5. The protrusion i8 is received in an opening 21 extending into the gasket 8 from the underside and at the corner thereof. The opening 2l is included in the gasket for permitting the insertion into the passage 1i) in the gasket 8 of the magnets 12. With this arrangement, the opening Z1 is plugged or closed. Also, the protrusion 1S may be variably positioned away from the door to increase the height of theA gasket at the corner by bending the leaf portion 17 or" the corner shim i6 away from the outer door face 7. Thus, the gasket may be made to conform to the surface of the face 4 of the outer case 3 and thereby compensate for irregularities existing in the corner face portions of either the outer case 3 or the corner face portions of the outer door 6. By such conformance and compensation, satisfactory sealing engagement between thc sealing rib 11 and the outer case face 4 at the corners thereof is insured.

It is to be understood that while l have shown and described my invention as means for remedying sealing defects in a magnetic gasket employed on a refrigerator door, my invention is equally applicable for remedying similar' defects in other, or nou-magnetic, gaskets and in constructions other than refrigerators.

While I have shown and described specific embodiments of my invention, do not desire my invention to be limited to the particular forms shown and described and l' intend by the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet construction including a case having a face portion, a door having a i'ace portion, a gasket mounted on the face por tion of sain' door and means for holding said door closed thereby to bring said gasket into sealing engagement with the face portion of said case; of a deforma le member mounted on said door and having a portion thereof disposed between said gasket and the face of said door, and said portion of said member being variably position able away from said face of said door by bending for increasing the height of said gasket thereby to compensate for irregularities existing in the face portion of said case or of said door whereby satisfactory sealing engagement. between said gasket and said face portion of said case is insured.

2. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet construction including a case having a face portion, a door having a face portion, a gasket mounted on the face portion of said door and means for holding said door closed thereby to bring said gasket into sealing engagelil "lil

ment with the face portion of said case; of a malleable shim mountable between said gasket and the face portion of said door, said shim including a portion adapted for eing variably positionable away from said face portion of said door by bending for increasing the height of a corresponding portion of said gasket thereby to compensate for irregularities existing in the face portion of said case or of said door whereby satisfactory sealing engagement between said gasket and said face portion of said case is insured.

struction including a case having a face portion, a door having a face portion, a gasket mounted on the face portion of said door and means for holding said door closed thereby to bring said gasket into sealing engagement with the face portion of said case; of a malleable shim, said shim including a base portion secured to said door, said shim further including finger portions disposed between said gasket and said face portion of said door, said finger portions being variably positionable away frogA said face portion of said door by bending for increasing the height of corresponding portions of said gasket thereby to compensate for irreguiarities existing in the face portion of said case or of said door whereby satisfactory sealing engagement between said gasket and said face portion of said case is insured.

4, The combination with a refrigerator cabinet construction including a case having a face portion, a door having a face portion, a gasket mounted on the face portion of said door and a plurality of magnets spacedly arranged in said gasket for holding said door closed and bringing said gasket into sealing engagement with the face portion of said case; of an elongated malleable shim, said shim being U-shaped in cross section, one side of said shim being a base portion for securing said shim between said gasket and said door and in longitudinal relation to said gasket, the other side of said shim being divided into spaced nger portions, and said nger portions being variably positionable away from said door by bending for increasing the height of corresponding portions of said gasket thereby to compensate for irregularities in theface portion of said case or of said door whereby satisfactory sealing engagement between said gasket and said face portion of said case is insured.

5. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet con struction including a case having a face portion, a door having a face portion, a gasket mounted on the face portion of said door and means for holding said door closed thereby to bring said gasket into sealing engagement with the face portion of said case; of a malleable shim, said shim including a leaf portion adapted to be secured to said door, said shim further including a protruding portion, said protruding portion extending away from said face portion at said door and. into said gasket, said protruding portion being variably positionable away from said face portion of said door by bending of said lear` portion away from said door, and said protruding portion being effective when positioned away from said face portion of said door for increasing the height of said gasket at the portion thereof into which it extends thereby to compensate for irregularities in the face portion of said case or of said door whereby satisfactory sealing engagement between said gasket and said face portion of said case is insured.

6. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet construction including a ease having a face portion, a door having a face portion, and a rectangular gasket mounted on said face portion of said door, said rectangular gasket including leg portions, a passage through said leg portions, an opening extending into said gasket from the underside and at a corner thereof for communicating with said passage, and a plurality of magnets inserted into said passage through said opening and arranged spacedly in said leg portions for holding said door closed and bringing said gasket into sealing engagement with the face por- 5. hc combination with a refrigerator cabinet con-V tion of said case; of a malleable shim, said shim including a leaf portion to be secured to said door between a portion of said gasket and said door, said shim further including an upstanding portion for being received in and for closing said opening in said gasket, said upstanding portion being variably positionable away from said. face portion of said door by bending of said leaf portion away from said door, said upstanding portion being effective when positioned away from said face portion of said door for increasing the height of said gasket at said cornei thereby to compensate for irregularities in the face por tion of said case or of said door whereby satisfactory sealing engagement between the corner of said gasket and said face portion of said case is insured.

Reierenees Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

